The largest neighborhood in the Old City of Gaza City, and the second most populous, it was given this name because of the large number of olive trees that cover large areas of it. It foiled several attempts by Israeli forces to storm southern Gaza, and contains many historical archaeological sites.
Location and population
Al-Zaytoun neighborhood is located southeast of Gaza City. It is one of the most famous neighborhoods in the Old City, and its largest neighborhood in terms of area, which amounted to approximately 9,156 dunums (a dunum is equivalent to a thousand square metres). It is bordered to the north by Al-Daraj neighborhood and Al-Qaysaria market, to the south by Hammam Al-Samra, and to the east by the Pasha Palace.
This neighborhood also ranks second among the neighborhoods of the Old City in terms of population, amounting to about 78 thousand people, according to 2015 statistics.
Label
It was given this name due to the large number of olive trees that cover large areas of it, and this feature is considered a military advantage for it, given that it is considered the southern entrance to Gaza City. It has stood against many incursions by the Israeli occupation army, making it one of the neighborhoods that most foiled the Israeli incursions into the southern Gaza Strip.
Although the Israeli occupation destroyed many olive trees with every attempt to storm it, the people of the neighborhood replanted olives after every storming.
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Al-Zaytoun neighborhood was part of the Daraj neighborhood, but it separated from it during World War I by creating a street that was later called “Omar Al-Mukhtar Street,” which included commercial markets, the most famous of which was “Al-Saroujiyah Market,” which was founded by the Ayyubids in 1187, coinciding with another market in Damascus bearing the name. Himself.
At the beginning of the Palestinian Nakba in 1948, the neighborhood attracted many families who were displaced from Palestinian lands and villages. The family of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin – one of the most prominent founders of the Islamic resistance movement Hamas – was one of the families that took refuge in the Zaytoun neighborhood at that time.
Landmarks in the Zaytoun neighborhood
- Baptist Hospital
One of the oldest hospitals in Gaza City. It was founded by the British missionary mission at the end of the 19th century AD. It was the only hospital in the area between Jaffa and Port Said. It is about 230 meters from the Orthodox Church of Privirios.
It was destroyed during World War I, then it was rebuilt in 1919 and was called the “Arab National Hospital.”
Israeli aircraft targeted the hospital on October 17, 2023, killing more than 500 Palestinians who were seeking refuge there to escape Israeli raids. The Baptist Hospital massacre was classified as one of the most horrific massacres committed in the Gaza Strip.
- Katib Wilayat Mosque
It is considered one of the most important historical monuments in Gaza City. Its construction dates back to the seventh century AD, during the rule of Al-Nasser Muhammad bin Qalawun, and its area is estimated at approximately 177 square meters. It has been destroyed and rebuilt for several periods throughout history.
The mosque is a large building with two columns in the middle, an iwan, and a front courtyard. Its minaret is adjacent to the Church of Saint Priverius.
The second oldest historical monument in the Gaza Strip, and the only remaining historical baths in the Strip. It was established in the Ottoman era on an area of 500 square meters, then it was restored and renovated in the Mamluk era.
It was named after the Samaritans who worked there for a period of time.
- Church of Saint Priverius
It is considered the third oldest church in the world. It was built at the beginning of the fifth century AD in the Byzantine style. It was named after Saint Priverius, the spreader of the Christian religion in the Gaza Strip.
It has an area of about 216 square metres, and consists of two main parts, the first is the worshipers’ corridor, which can accommodate approximately 500 worshipers, and the second is the structure designated for performing religious rituals.
- House of Imam Al-Shafi’i
It is the birthplace of Imam Al-Shafi’i in 150 AH. He was one of the four Muslim imams. The house is located on an area of approximately 300 square meters, and includes the shrine of Mrs. Asia, the daughter of the Imam.
Sheikh Muhammad Awad, the founder of the Al-Azhar Institutes in Palestine, was able to obtain approval from the late Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser to transform the institution to serve Islamic sciences, so in 1964 AD it became the first association for memorizing the Holy Qur’an in the Gaza Strip.
In 2017, the place was restored and reopened, and many Sharia courses were launched, and it was called “Dar Al-Imam Al-Shafi’i Al-Azhariya for Sharia Sciences.” Sharia sciences of all kinds were taught there at the hands of a number of Al-Azhari professors.